iv. Having unified Germany, Bismarck’s main concern was to maintain its stability and protection.

v. 1878 Russia withdrew from agreement; Bismarck formed a new Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879.
vi. Dual Alliance: aid in the event of an attack by Russia or a country that was supported by Russia against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
vii. Neutrality would be maintained should Germany or Austria-Hungary be attacked by another power.

Significance: Austria-Hungary called upon Germany’s support against a Russian supported Serbia due to the Dual Alliance.

B. The Triple Alliance

i. Italy joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in signing the Triple Alliance agreement in 1881.

ii. Under the provisions of this treaty, all sides would assist each other in the course of an attack or declaration of war by France.

iii. If a signatory was in a war with two (or more) powers, the other two would provide military aid.

iv. Should any of the signatories decide to launch a ‘preemptive’ war, the other two powers would remain neutral.

Aim: One of the main objectives of the Triple Alliance was to prevent war between Italy and Austria-Hungary over their territorial dispute.

C. A Secret Franco-Italian Alliance

i. In 1902, Italy negotiates a secret treaty with France in which it was agreed that Italy would remain neutral in the event that Germany attacked France.

ii. In 1914, Italy remained neutral by claiming that Germany’s war against France was an ‘aggressive’ one.

iii. In 1915, Italy entered the war on the side of Britain, France and Russia.

Significance: The Triple Alliance was ineffective with regards to Italy’s participation because of the secret Franco-Italian Alliance.

D. The Reinsurance Treaty

i. Signed in 1887 between Germany and Russia.

ii. Both powers would remain neutral in the event of an offensive or defensive war.

iii. Stipulation: Obligations of assistance would be null in the event that Germany and France were at war or Russia was at war with Austria-Hungary.

iv. The treaty lapsed after three years; subsequently, Russia allied itself with Britain and France.

vi. Neither agreement was militarily binding though there was a ‘moral obligation’ in place.

vii. It was this moral obligation along with the 1839 Treaty of London (which promised British defense of Belgian neutrality) that drew Britain into war.

viii. At the Anglo-French Naval Convention of 1912, however, Britain and France concluded a military agreement where Britain would protect France’s coastline while France defended the Suez Canal.

Militarism

A. British Emergence From Splendid Isolation

i. Self-declared “splendid isolation” in 1870s from European politics.

ii. Emergence caused by the determination of Wilhelm II to expand as a European colonial power in the pacific and Africa.

iii. British “two power standard” of 1889: the British navy should be equal to any two navies in the world combined.

B. Anglo-German Naval Race

i. At the encouragement of the naval minister Tirpitz, Wilhelm II began the massive production of a naval fleet that would equal in size to the world’s largest fleet (Britain’s). In order to expand and protect its empire, Germany needed a large navy.

ii. Britain responded by expanding her naval strength- a success.

iii. In 14 months, Dreadnought battleship was completed in December 1906.

iv. Competition focused on the possession of Dreadnoughts.

iv. In 1900, the British had a 3.7:1 tonnage advantage over Germany; in 1910 the ratio was 2.3:1 and in 1914, 2.1:1.

Significance: The naval race with Germany brought Britain into the European alliance system (Entente Cordiale).

The naval strength of the powers in 1914

Country

Personnel

Large

Naval Vessels (Dreadnoughts)

Tonnage

Russia

54,000

4

328,000

France

68,000

10

731,000

Britain

209,000

29

2,205,000

TOTAL

331,000

43

3,264,000

Germany

79,000

17

1,019,000

Austria-Hungary

16,000

4

249,000

TOTAL

95,000

21

1,268,000

(Source: Ferguson, The Pity for War: Explaining World War One 1998, p. 85)

C. Military

i. Between 1870- 1914 military spending by European powers increased by 300% and conscription was adopted by all continental powers in1871.

ii. By 1914, more than 12 million men could be called upon in the event of war.

Imperialism

A.

i. “White man’s burden” as justification for many European’s racist aspects of imperialism.

ii. Partition of Africa began with the completion of the Suez Canal (controlled by Britain and France) in 1869.

iv. Britain, Russia and France had large empires when Wilhelm I came to power. He wanted Germany to be large and powerful empire; “a place in the sun” with access to raw materials, new markets, and international prestige.

v. Germany doomed from the start for colonial greatness. – started too late.

B. First Moroccan Crisis

i. Germany’s objection for France’s attempt to turn Morocco into a colony.

ii. 1904, Britain and France signed a colonial agreement where Britain recognized Morocco as under French sphere of influence.

iii. In a speech in Tangier on March 1905, the German Kaiser advocated for Morocco independence in hopes of weakening Anglo-French entente.

iv. Plan failed, Britain supported France.

v. At the Algeciras Conference, France acquired the rights in Morocco with the support of Britain and Russia.

Significance: Example of how the race for colonies created tension between European nations.